Child Care Development Services, Inc. (CCDS) joins the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) for releasing the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rules April 22 on the new meal nutrition standards for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP.

The new rules aim to make a good program even better. By offering meals consistent with the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, child care and after school programs will provide millions of low-income children better access to much-needed fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lower-fat dairy foods.

The implementation date is scheduled for October 1, 2017. Your CACFP representative will provide you with a chart of the changes in the near future.

A quick summary of the changes are as follows.For infants:

Solid food are introduced at 6 months of age with the flexibility to introduce solid foods before and after 6 months when requested by a parent or guardian.

For children:

Limits service of juice to once per day.

Requires breakfast cereals to contain no more than 6 grams of sugar per dry ounce.

Allows meat and meat alternates to be served in place of the entire grains requirement at breakfast a maximum of three times per week.

Requires that yogurt contain no more than 23 grams of sugar per 6 ounces.

Prohibits flavored milk before 6 years of age.

Recommends that flavored milk contain no more than 22 grams of sugar per 8 fluid ounces for children 6 years and older.

Required water to be offered to children throughout the day and available upon their request.